


Fates Intertwined

by DisasterBisexual



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Confession, F/M, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, POV switch, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, healthy relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-09 02:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15257058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisasterBisexual/pseuds/DisasterBisexual
Summary: For Kiwi:You're crushing hard on a certain tall, handsome skeleton who lives down the street. He feels the same way about you, but is only just now working up the nerve to tell you--will you go out with him even though your souls didn't resonate the first time you met?





	Fates Intertwined

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GalaxyBrownies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyBrownies/gifts).



> This is my half of the fic swap I did with @GalaxyBrownies! I hope you like it, I put a lot of love into this project! I'm sorry for taking so long! <3

You didn’t believe in soulmates. Not anymore. At least, that’s what you told yourself. 

 

One of the best parts about living in a world with monsters was a little bit of magic called soul resonance. While soulmates didn’t exist in the classic sense--there wasn’t any one person you were destined to be with whether you liked it or not--soul resonance made it easier to tell who you had the potential to bond with. Soul bonds weren’t inherently romantic by nature, they just happened to be intimate ways to connect people and monsters who shared many of the same traits and values as you. Although, many monsters called romantic soul resonance “threading”, as those who had experienced it described it as the sensation of strings pulling on your body, pulling you towards your potential soulmate. 

 

Except, when the monsters had descended from Mt. Ebott, you hadn’t resonated with any of them. And now that you had met him, you didn’t want to resonate with anyone. 

 

“So… is it true that soul resonance usually happens on sight?” You’d casually asked Sans on a Monday evening while prepping the kitchen for the monthly neighborhood barbecue party. 

 

“well yeah, i guess.” Sans shrugged. 

 

“And that means if you’ve already met someone and didn’t feel your soul resonate with theirs, they’re not your soulmate, right?” You pressed on, eager for answers. If there wasn’t any hope, you wanted to know sooner rather than later. It would save you from more pain down the road. 

 

“i wouldn’t know, haven’t experienced it personally. why d’you ask?” When you didn’t respond, he scooted closer. 

 

“is there something on your mind, kiddo?” 

 

“I’m just… trying to figure something out,” you sighed, dodging the brunt of his question. Unfortunately, the maneuver wasn’t lost on him. 

 

“when we first met, you resonated with all of us,” he reminded you, emphasizing his words with a gesture towards his chest. His bony fingers formed the shape of a heart. “you can’t see it, but right now my soul is glowing brighter than usual. that’s ‘cuz you’re here. since you, me, paps, tori, alphys, and undyne all resonated, our souls are connected. they kinda feed off each other, ‘cept no energy is lost, just created.” 

 

“you like somebody, but they’re not your soulmate.” He realized, studying your expression intently as he waited for a reaction. 

 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” you remarked, hoping he would let the subject drop. You didn’t want to be the one to tell him about your feelings for his brother.

 

“hey, kid, don’t worry about it.” Sans gave you a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “‘sides, all that soul resonance stuff sounds like an old wives’ tale to me. s’not worth losing sleep over.” 

 

You nodded in agreement, but your insides felt like a churning vortex of disappointment and longing. Biting your lip, you couldn’t bring yourself to look him in the eye. 

 

“Thanks, Sans.” 

 

“no problem, kiddo.” 

 

Later that night, you sat awake in bed and thought about the conversation. Since humans weren’t able to see each other’s souls, they usually didn’t worry about finding a soulmate. But if was different for monsters. One look, and they could tell if you had the potential to become something more than them. You knew your soul hadn’t resonated with Papyrus’s, so wouldn’t a romantic relationship rob him of the opportunity to find his other half? More than anything else, you wanted him to be happy, even if that meant not being with him. You were prepared to make that sacrifice, knowing the chance of a successful relationship between the two of you was slim. 

 

________________________

 

As you curled up and drifted off to sleep, another restless soul tossed and turned a couple houses down the block. Papyrus stared up at the ceiling, studying the faint outline of the glow-in-the-dark star stickers that he’d bought with Sans the first time they went to the science museum together. They weren’t anything compared to the real deal, but the light emanating from them was enough to draw his eye. Although they weren’t the only thing keeping him awake. 

 

He couldn’t stop thinking about you. Your sweet, melodic laugh, the little flecks of green in your deep blue eyes, and the way his name sounded on your lips. Sometimes he had to force himself to look away just to avoid staring at you for too long, though it pained him greatly to do so. What troubled him the most, however, were the strange impulses and desires he had when you were physically close in range. He wanted to be close to you, to rest his chin on your head and stroke your hair, but he knew the slightest touch from someone else had the power to make you flinch. In fact, one time he hadn’t caught himself in time to stop from smacking away the hand of a stranger extended in greeting, causing you a significant amount of distress that turned your face beet red. Even after having apologized profusely, the mere memory of such disgraceful actions ignited a twinge of guilt in his heart. It was never his intention to cause you pain or discomfort, and knowing he had done so felt like a blow to the chest. 

 

He just wanted you to be happy, and seeing your smile was enough to make his pulse race. And he was going to see you again tomorrow, which made his heart soar. 

 

But… did you feel the same?  

 

After all, he was a monster. Didn’t humans prefer to court their own kind? He didn’t want to infringe on any such traditions, or insert himself into a place where he didn’t belong. Sans would tell him he was being silly, or worse, discourage him altogether, so he kept his feelings to himself, concealed inside the aching, glowing soul in his chest. It had never been so restless, no matter how many battles he’d entered in the Underground, and he had given up on finding a soulmate long ago, so he concluded that the sharp pain shooting through his ribs could be attributed to the pangs of heartache. So  _ this _ was how the young human ambassador had felt after his timely rejection. Had he known and shared this pain in that moment, he might have been gentler. And now, he felt a wave of shame wash over him as he realized that, despite how you might feel about his advances, he wanted to spend time with you. 

 

As his further attempts to sleep proved futile, Papyrus sat up in his bed and mentally ticked off a list of the next day’s events. He would meet you for lunch, like he did every Saturday when the others usually weren’t busy and tagged along. Only this time, he had a plan. Unfortunately, it was one that required him to be incredibly sneaky, and Papyrus didn’t like the idea of being deceptive towards you. 

 

Nevertheless, as he stood up to prepare for his early morning jog, he ignored the casual clothes on his dresser and equipped his battle body. Wearing it gave him a sense of safety and security, and today he needed it more than ever. Papyrus quietly exited the house, careful not to wake his narcoleptic brother, and started to run. As his feet and the cracks in the ground blurred into one long streak of pavement beneath him, his mind went blissfully blank. He was at his calmest and most collected when he was up and moving, a trait that had caused him to be extremely antsy during his school years. It felt like flying, and when he was finally able to breathe again, he found himself wishing he could show you this exhilarating feeling. 

 

Hours passed, but Papyrus found himself invigorated by the prospect that his stamina had the potential to impress you. How many laps had he done by now? He’d lost count a long time ago, but that didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have noticed the faint light of the sun beneath the trees if you hadn’t been sitting on the steps of your porch in a bathrobe, giving him a small friendly wave as he passed by. 

 

Freezing in his tracks, Papyrus skidded to a stop on the sidewalk directly next to your lawn, narrowly avoiding your mailbox. He cleared his throat, trying to calm the panic of the unexpected encounter that was bubbling up inside him. 

 

“HUMAN! AWAKE BRIGHT AND EARLY, I SEE!”

 

“Hey, Papyrus! I thought I told you it was okay to call me Kira, silly. What are you doing up at six in the morning?” 

 

You yawned, rubbing your eyes as you shifted the folds of your bathrobe to stretch, revealing your white-printed bunny pattern pajamas. Papyrus couldn’t help it, he audibly gasped at how cute your clothes were. He slept in bunny pajamas as well! Who knew you two had so much in common?

 

“OH, W-WELL, I AM PATROLLING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS PROTECTION! YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO CAUTIOUS! BY THE WAY, I LIKE YOUR CURRENT ATTIRE!” 

 

He flashed you a wide grin, which only widened when your cheeks pinkened in response. Seeing your adorable reactions to his words would never tire him. But, as he thought about his plans, it became his turn to blush. 

 

“EXCUSE ME, HU-- K-KIRA, I HAVE SOME BUSINESS I MUST ABSOLUTELY ATTEND TO!” 

 

“Papyrus, wh--”

 

Before you could finish your sentence, the tall, eccentric skeleton bounded towards his house at a speed that frankly shouldn’t have been possible for someone without leg muscles. 

 

________________________

 

The doorbell rang. Nobody else was in the house, so you decided to answer it. Was that Papyrus standing outside? Odd. Even though you usually did weekend activities with the monsters, you had thought everyone was busy today. 

 

Wait, what on earth was he wearing? Was that a  _ tux _ ? 

 

You quickly opened the door, fumbling with the lock. “Papyrus, what are you doing in that? It’s eighty-five degrees outside!” 

 

No sooner than had you uttered those words, a bouquet of various assortments of flowers was shoved in your face. 

 

“W-WILL YOU ACCOMPANY ME FOR A PICNIC THIS AFTERNOON?” 

 

Blinking, you took him in. His eager grin was stretched wide and taut across his skull, the tenseness in his jaw and the way he was sweating buckets betraying how nervous he felt. Then it hit you-- _ really _ hit you--this wasn’t any regular old friendly outing, you were being asked out on a  _ date _ . And by no less than the very monster you wanted to be your soulmate. A deep ribbon of scarlet traveled across your face until it felt like your cheeks were glowing from the heat. 

 

“I--uh, yes! I will! Just, um, can you--” 

 

You looked down at your clothes--casual stuff, a tee shirt and some shorts. They looked and felt so out of place next to his formal wear.    
  
“Canyoujustgivemetenminutes? Sorrythanksbye!”    
  


The words came out a jumbled, flustered mess, which accurately reflected your emotional state as you slammed the door, sliding down to sit against it, absolutely awestruck by the events that had just conspired. Was this real? Had that actually happened? Scrambling up the stairs, your mind raced in time with your pumping, beating heart. What were you going to wear? Did you have anything appropriate? Wait, there was that one blue dress you’d bought a couple weeks ago, and it matched your eyes so nicely, too--yes, there it was, hanging in the back of your closet! 

 

________________________

 

Papyrus waited outside, anxious for your return. Part of him was afraid you would abandon him there on the steps, at the mercy of the summer heat. The doubts he shoved down into the back of his mind started bubbling to the surface, and he couldn’t hold them back. What if you were just trying to let him down nicely? Did you even feel the same way, or had he accidentally pushed you into a corner where you felt like you couldn’t say no? Maybe this was your way of letting him down gently, in which case, he felt incredibly guilty. 

 

Imagine his surprise when you emerged from the house dressed in a beautiful outfit that rivaled his own in propriety, looking more radiant than a fiery sunrise. You were far more magnetizing than one, too, and he found that even if he tried to divert his gaze out of politeness, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. 

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”  

 

He turned. Human? What human? That voice definitely belonged to an angel. Who just so happened to be a human, the most beautiful human he’d ever seen in his life. Blinking hard, Papyrus shook his head and his soul lit up with a smile. 

 

“Papyrus…? Everything okay?”

 

“YES, NEVER BETTER! AND IF YOU DON’T MIND ME SAYING SO, YOU LOOK QUITE DAZZLING!” 

 

Taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm, you blushed, averting your eyes shyly. “Thank you! I um, I picked this dress out in case something came up, and well, I’m glad I did!”

 

Offering you an arm, Papyrus gestured to his car. “SHALL WE GO?” He inquired with an exaggerated flare that made you giggle. 

 

You placed a hand in the crook of his elbow. “Yes, let’s go.”

 

________________________

 

“Papyrus, where are we going?” 

 

You stiffened in bewilderment when he gently put his hands over your eyes. His chest pressed against your back, and you were glad he couldn’t see how red your cheeks were turning. 

 

“IT’S A SURPRISE!” 

 

“Oh, uh, okay!” 

 

Hesitantly, you took a step forward. You knew he wouldn’t let you fall, and even if you did trip, he would be there to catch you. Something about the way he cradled your face instilled a sense of calmness and security inside you, and with a deep breath, you were ready to continue marching forward. After a few minutes, he slowed to a stop behind you, hands relaxing. 

 

“ALRIGHT… NOW OPEN YOUR EYES.” 

 

You did. 

 

Everywhere you looked, you saw something beautiful. You stood on a hilltop under a shady oak tree overlooking a field of pale golden grain the shade of sunrise. The sky was a bright shade of cerulean, accentuated by white tufted clouds that drifted lazily through the air above your head. Purple star-shaped flowers sprung up from the ground and trailed across the field like will-o’-the-wisps guiding you to a better fate than you could’ve ever asked for. 

 

“Papyrus, I… I don’t know what to say, it’s so beautiful. Thank you,” you whispered, clutching a hand to your chest. 

 

“REALLY? YOU LIKE IT?” He leaned down slightly to study your face, eyes twinkling with excitement. 

 

“Like it? I  _ love _ it,” you responded enthusiastically, pulling him in for a bone-crushing hug. You felt something flutter in your chest when he reciprocated, stepping back instinctively to clear the air between you. 

 

He rummaged around in his bag, fishing out a plaid blanket and spreading it evenly on the grass, placing a basket of food neatly in the corner. As he sat down, he was careful not to jostle any of the things he’d brought, unbuttoning his blazer. You smoothed your skirt as you sat down next to him, scooting closer so you could lean up against his arm, which he promptly wrapped around you. When you mustered up the courage to look him in the face, you realized he was blushing just as hard, if not harder. He was so cute, you couldn’t help but smile. 

 

Papyrus snuck a glance at you whenever your head was turned, this time sweating for a different reason. Was he too close? Too far away? Could you feel his soul throwing itself against his ribcage as you rested your head on his chest? Did you sense the way his breath hitched in the back of his throat as he breathed in the sweet scent of your hair? Could you tell that with you here, everything around him had disappeared until it felt like you two were the only living, breathing beings on the planet? Your hands were so warm against his, and your cheeks were so soft. He wanted nothing more than to hold you like this forever, and maybe a couple centuries afterwards. 

 

Before you had time to process what was happening, his teeth were pressed right up against your lips. Your eyes widened in shock, but you didn’t push him away. Your mouth softened into the kiss, and you felt the world tip from side to side as it started to spin. Closing your eyes, you fell forward into his chest for support, the faint taste of strawberries lingering on your tongue. His arms felt so secure around you, and, despite not having skin, he seemed to radiate a warmth of his own. Cinnamon and citrus… your eyes became half-lidded as your shoulders relaxed. 

 

You were so at ease that you almost didn’t notice the soft white glow beneath the folds of Papyrus’s dress shirt. 

 

“Papyrus..?” You trailed off, raising an eyebrow at him quizzically, waiting for an explanation. 

 

“HMM? O-OH! WELL, THAT’S CERTAINLY NEW!” 

 

You both stared down at the glowing light between his ribs, until he pointed a shaky finger at your chest. 

 

“IT’S HAPPENING TO YOURS, TOO!!” 

 

You looked down and, sure enough, your soul had emerged from your body to float in front of your chest, pulsing with red and green light. It didn’t hurt, but the sight was making your eyes swim with vertigo, and without thinking, you gripped onto his arm tightly to steady yourself. 

 

“Wh…. What on earth…?” 

 

Papyrus scratched the back of his spine where his neck would be with his free hand, averting his eyes politely. 

 

“KIRA, I… I THINK WE MIGHT BE SOULMATES,” he said, finally breaking the brief moment of silence. 

 

You blinked, eyes widening in disbelief. 

 

“Wait, but--I thought that was something you could tell at first sight. If we’re soulmates, then why didn’t we resonate the day we met?” 

 

Looking down in shame, you couldn’t keep the insecurity out of your voice. It felt like all he had to do was nudge you, and everything you’d been keeping bottled up inside your head would come spilling out. But he didn’t. 

 

“WELL… I’M SORRY, I’M NOT REALLY SURE… ALTHOUGH…” Papyrus scratched his chin thoughtfully. “I DON’T REMEMBER DEVELOPING FEELINGS THIS STRONGLY TOWARDS ANYONE BEFORE I MET YOU. PERHAPS THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT?” 

 

He watched, bemused, as your entire face lit up with happiness, catching you as you flung your arms around him in a big hug. At first, he wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard you mumble something that sounded like “I knew it was you.” 

 

And as he stroked your hair, feeling your happy tears soak into his shirt, he could sincerely say he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

 

___________________________________

 

You weren’t having a good day. 

 

To be fair, things had started out rotten when the toaster broke, scrapping your breakfast plans. Then, you’d gotten in late after stopping at the bakery downtown on your way to make sure you didn’t faint before noon. When lunch rolled around, you opened your lunchbox miserably, only to find that your salad had gotten all over the place, making the insides of the bag sticky and unpleasant to the touch. 

 

It didn’t take your friends long to notice your sluggishness, and they suggested you go home early, offering to cover for you if necessary. You said thanks, but no thanks; you wanted to stay for as long as possible, finishing as much work as you could before the end of the day. Despite your determination to tough it out, you wound up leaving a half hour early when the printer started malfunctioning just as you were about to send in your documents. 

 

Once you got home, you breathed a huge sigh of relief. Nobody else was around to look at you, mess that you felt, or judge you for leaving last night’s dishes unwashed in the kitchen sink. The last thing you wanted right now was to deal with somebody. 

 

You headed straight to the couch, flopping face down in the pillows and groaning for about five minutes. Then, you pulled a blanket out of the closet, wrapped yourself in it, and curled up in a ball of fluff on the couch. 

You didn’t remember drifting off to sleep, but when you opened your eyes to see Papyrus’s concerned face looking down at yours, you noticed the light had changed. Everything in the room was bright orange, filtered by the sun coming in from the window. You’d woken up to the sound of his voice, which came into focus after you yawned, your ears popping slightly from the abrupt change. 

 

“I’M SORRY TO WAKE YOU FROM YOUR NAP, BUT SANS INFORMED ME THAT YOU HADN’T STOPPED BY FOR DINNER.”

 

When your facial expression remained emotionless, his own expression changed. Something was wrong, and he wanted to fix it.

 

“KIRA…? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” 

 

No response. What were you supposed to say? You didn’t want to make him worry. He was such a sweet boyfriend, and he shouldn’t have to handle your problems as well as his own. Besides, he’d done more than enough for you already. You stayed quiet, hoping he wouldn’t persist. 

 

Sitting down next to you, careful not to trap your legs in the process, Papyrus took your hand in his, stroking your palm gently with his thumb. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but it was a gesture of intimacy that had helped to calm his brother in the past. 

 

“KIRA… YOU DON’T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT IF YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO, BUT SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED FOR YOU TO BE THIS UPSET. AT LEAST LET ME COMFORT YOU,” he said, a pleading look in his eyes. 

 

Your heart promptly melted. How could you say no to a face like that? 

 

“Well… today’s just been crappy, that’s all. I feel like I’m overreacting, maybe it’s all in my head. Every little mistake feels like I’m getting one step closer to ruining everyone’s lives, and it’s hard not to get upset about it.” 

 

Tilting his head in thought, Papyrus mulled over your words for a couple moments. “I SEE. SO YOU FEEL DISCOURAGED BECAUSE YOU’RE AFRAID OF HURTING SOMEONE? THAT DOES SOUND SCARY.” 

 

There was a pause. 

 

“I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN GET RID OF ALL YOUR DOUBTS AND FEARS, BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT EVEN IN THE DARKEST TIMES, I WILL STAY BY YOUR SIDE. IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK!” 

 

Without hesitation, you leaned in and hugged him, resting your head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Papyrus… I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” 

 

He smiled down at you, placing his bony cheek atop your forehead. “OF COURSE! AFTER ALL, I LOVE YOU, KIRA.” 

 

What?! He’d never said that before! Several times you’d considered saying it first, in case he was too shy or reserved for that kind of display of affection, but here he was, meeting--no, defying--all of your expectations. 

 

You felt your face heat up like it hadn’t been warm in months, and gazed up at him tenderly. 

 

“I love you too, Papyrus.” 


End file.
